Fifty degrees! Seventeen degrees! Snow! Drizzle! You name it, we’ve had it so far this season. Maybe the chaotic weather is matching the somewhat chaotic events going on in the world this spring – events which are affecting us even in the seclusion of a National Forest. If you have tried to visit any of the ranger district offices recently,... READ MORE >
Winter, which only a week ago seemed indestructible, has really taken a beating this past week with the warm weather and sun. The sun is getting higher in the sky, and as it does, its intensity increases. A wan January sun at midday does little to warm the ground, but here in late February, our midday sun is burning away... READ MORE >
Winter on the Superior National Forest: it’s all about snow. We get calls every day from people down in the Twin Cities and other places, and the first thing they ask is “What’s the snow like?” Temperature is a close second, but beyond a doubt, snow is what is on the mind of most Forest visitors. This is with good... READ MORE >
I overheard someone at lunch today saying that there are probably only four more weeks of winter left. I’m pretty sure I don’t believe them. They are right in a way however. I always get caught at the end of winter wishing I had gone skiing a few more times, or gone ice fishing again, or taken the dog out... READ MORE >
Hi. This is Steve Robertsen, interpretation and education specialist for the Superior National Forest with the first National Forest Update of the year. 2020 seems like an incredibly futuristic date to me, and while we don’t have flying cars yet, we do have robotic vacuums, pocket computers, and drones. In the midst of all that tech stuff, some of which... READ MORE >
You may not realize it, but today is longer than yesterday, and yesterday was longer than it was a week ago. We turned the corner on day length with the passing of the winter solstice on December 21, before Christmas. From now until the summer solstice in June, days will do nothing but grow longer and longer, and our noontime... READ MORE >
With the turn of the seasons and the fall of the snow, visitor questions at the Forest Service change from “When is the peak of fall color?” to “When were the ski and snowmobile trails groomed?” The only color of interest right now is snow-white. Snow levels right now vary a lot across the forest. There was heavy snow in... READ MORE >
As people are well aware, we’ve had our share of weather recently. Snow, rain, and winds over 50 mph have pretty much spelled the end of the fall color season and moved all the photographers out of the forest and onto the shore of Superior to take pictures of waves. If you are one of those wave watchers, beware. A... READ MORE >
Fall in the forest continues, rainy days mixed with a few amazing days of sun and warmth. This fall has been a little different from some – maple leaves seem to have come and mostly gone faster than some years, though in a few spots like Heartbreak Hill, there are still plenty of maples in color. The aspen and birch... READ MORE >
August, and flowers are blooming all over. Asters and goldenrod are alive with activity as our pollinators do their job, busily visiting every flower. For me, one of the joys in life is discovering unsuspected diversity, and bumblebees are the latest source of this particular joy. A bumblebee was a bumblebee for most of my life, but now, after attending... READ MORE >
